Second Chances
by Mom with a mouth
Summary: After losing everything, an unexpected opportunity arises from a second chance. Imapct/GFW/TNA Johnny Devine/OC
1. Chapter 1

Hello Everyone! This is my first story back after about a 10 year hiatus. Life happened and I never got the chance to write. The inspiration for this story came from pretty much the first paragraph and I went from there. Please be gentle, or not, but all reviews are appreciated. I used to write under the name Rhyno's girl back in the day if any one remembers my stories from then. Enjoy! *Side note- I own no one except Eliza.*

Eliza pulled into the parking lot and took a deep breath. She was getting ready to walk into a building that she swore she would never walk into again. The Impact Zone. She thought about the last time she was here. Telling Dixie and the other suits to shove it where the sun doesn't shine. Telling them that they never understood how much she sacrificed and lost for that place.

She was snapped out of her memories by the familiar, happy face of Scott D'Amore, waving his hand wildly outside her window. She smiled and turned off the car. The car door opened and she got out.

"Hi Scott." She said warmly, being taken in by the man who had talked her into this mess. She always loved Scott's hugs. She told him that it felt like he was hugging her soul. He had been her trainer before a serious car accident left her with metal rods in her neck. He convinced her to stop training, but to go a different path in the wrestling business. Production and behind the scenes work.

"I am so glad you are here Eliza, how was your flight? Did everything go okay?" He asked, letting go of her. She turned around and grabbed her messenger back out of the car and shut the door.

"Yeah, everything was fine. Turns out Alex and Chris were on the flight after mine. We got some food at the airport together. They said that they'd be here later." She said, mentioning two of her other good friends, Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley. They were coming back as well thanks to Scott's smooth talking.

"Good...there is someone who wants to see you." Scott said, lacing his arm in hers.

"Oh lord, it's not Dixie is it?" She laughed, slightly fearful she was right.

"Oh God no, she only has 5%, she doesn't come around." Scott laughed. "He's in catering. Common."

Eliza and Scott walked down the hallway arm in arm. People would stop them to say hello and old friends giving hugs. So many things had changed, but so many had stayed the same since her last time there. So many familiar faces, but so many new ones as well. They reached the catering area and Scott stopped.

"Okay, he's in there." he said, pointing to the door. "Let me go in first. I want to see your face." he laughed. She shook her head.

"Be my guest." Eliza said, motioning to the door. Scott walked in and she took a deep breath. She hated surprises, but all she could do was hope this was a good one.

She opened the door slowly, unsure of who, or what was on the other side. She had her eyes closed as she walked through and then opened them after a second. The face she saw made her heart stop and her breath catch in her throat.

"Hi Eliza." he said. All she could do was look at him. His blonde hair darker now and longer. A full beard covered his face.

"Johnny...I..." she finally stammered after what felt like forever. Johnny Devine stood before her. Seven years it had been since she had last seen him in the flesh.

"It's been forever." Johnny stepped closer to her and took her hand. Electricity flew through her body. She looked down at their hands and back up at his face. She felt something hot streaming down her cheek. She didn't even realize she had teared up. He brushed the tear away and smiled. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too. Are you working here again too?" she asked.

"Kind of. I'm helping with the new talent in a training capacity. Most of the time I'll be in Windsor though." he said. She leaned in and hugged him. Feeling him wrap his arms around her was almost too much. She pulled away and took a step back.

"I'm glad you are here." Eliza said smiling, trying to get her mind back in business mode. She finally broke her gaze from Johnny and looked around the room. Scott was the only one in the room besides them. He smiled at the two of them and Johnny took a deep breath.

"I'm gonna go out and hit the ring. I'll see you production nerds later." He said smiling and walking out the door. She smiled and watched him walk away.

"That was SO worth it." Scott said. Eliza chopped him across his chest. His jacket and button down dampening the blow.

"I'm going to go find the love of your life and do that same shit to you." She grabbed her bag that had fallen to the ground and turned to walk out the door.

"Please do. I haven't found them yet." Scott laughed. "He's divorced you know..." Scott said, calling after her. She hesitated for a moment and then kept right on walking. Hoping he hadn't seen her stutter step. A smile came across her face. Maybe second chances existed for a reason.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two**

"Okay, go to camera 4." Eliza called from her chair in the production truck. A Tag Match between the Motor City Machine Guns and LAX was on the monitors. "Hard Cam." she called out, pushing buttons beside her. She continued to call out shots and change camera angles when her cell phone buzzed at her side. The bell rang and the match was over. The Machine Guns had won. Time for commercial. She moved her hand over to her phone and flipped it over. It was an unknown number.

-I know you are busy right now, but if you aren't busy after the show I thought you'd maybe like to get dinner with me? Alex gave me your number. This is Johnny.

She smiled and picked up the phone and looked at the countdown till they were back. Three minutes. Plenty of time.

-Yeah, that would be great. Where are you staying?

-The Radisson by the Airport

She chuckled. Scott had 'done her a favor' and booked her room for her. At the same hotel he and Johnny were staying at. She looked over at him sitting a few seats down and shook her head.

-Me too, meet you in the lobby at 9:30?

-Sounds great. See you then.

The rest of the show went smoothly. No issues, everyone kept to their match times and got out of the building on time. Eliza checked into her room and flopped down on the bed. She glanced over at the bedside clock. 9:00. Half an hour until she had to be downstairs for a dinner she wasn't sure if she was ready for.

*7 years ago*

"I can't help you unless you help yourself!" Johnny yelled after her. Eliza turned on her heels. The bottle of Jack she had in her hand spilling out onto the floor.

"You don't understand. I can't fail at this. It's all I have!" She screamed in his face.

"You had me." he said, still yelling. Eliza looks at him with a sharp glare.

"What do you mean had?" she says, venom in her voice.

"I can't watch you do this to yourself. They don't appreciate everything you do. Everyone is leaving. Why can't you just accept that the company is failing?" Johnny said softening his tone. He hated seeing her like this and it had become so frequent lately.

"I don't fail." She said. "Things are going to change as soon as they bring in Hogan. Just wait." she said. She, at the time, was convinced that everything was indeed going to get better and soon. There was going to be more money, more help, more resources, once Hulk Hogan was brought in.

"I can't." Johnny said, hanging his head. "I love you, but I just can't do this anymore." He grabbed the bag that was at his feet and turned his back to her.

"So you're just going to leave? Is that it? Just run away? Fine. Be that way. Have a good life." she said, taking a big drink from the bottle in her hand. Johnny walked towards the door and before he opened it he turned around and looked at her.

"I love you. I always have and I always will." he said. He could feel his heart breaking. He had tried everything he knew to do to change the situation, but no matter what he did, nothing worked.

"Fuck you." she said, starting to slur her words, taking another drink. Eliza had her back to the wall in the hallway now and sunk down to the floor. Johnny took a deep breath and walked out the door.

*Present Day*

Eliza stepped out of the elevator slowly, smoothing her black and red skater dress under her hands. She walked the short hallway to the lobby quickly, so she didn't get nervous and back out. She was already nervous enough. She turned the corner and saw Johnny sitting on the arm of one of the chairs. He had his hair pulled back and a button down shirt on with a pair of nice jeans. Devine he was. He saw her and sprung up from his seat and met her as she walked toward him.

"You look amazing." he said.

"You clean up nice yourself. Let me guess, Star Wars shirt under the button up?" She said smiling. He looked at her and grinned.

"You act like there are other shirts than Star Wars shirts?!" he said, feigning shock. "Shit, let's go." he said grabbing her arm and quickly leading her to the front door of the hotel. Her heart started pounding in her throat the minute he touched her again.

"What's wrong?" she asked, slightly worried as they half ran out the front doors.

"I didn't figure we needed a ton of questions from the trouble bunch back there." he said as they stood on the sidewalk outside. She peered through the doors and saw Scott, Alex, Chris along with Petey Williams and Sonjay Dutt all walking through the lobby to the hotel bar.

"Oh God, you are right." she laughed. Those guys were some of their best friends, but they could be awfully nosy for a bunch of guys. "Where did you want to go?" she asked.

"I know a spot. I'll drive."

She followed him to his rental car and they drove about 15 minutes to a beautiful Italian restaurant by the bay. They valet parked and he took her arm leading up the stairs.

"Italian is okay right?" He asked her, slight nervousness in his voice.

"It was always my favorite." She said, smiling gently at him. She had missed him so much. He opened the door for her and she walked in. He went over and spoke to the hostess and she lead them back to a secluded table for two. He pulled out her chair for her and then sat down across from her. Candles and dim light flickered across the table.

"I'm glad you agreed to come to dinner. I was worried you wouldn't." he said, nervousness still in his voice. A lump started to grow in her throat and she was worried the beautiful evening would be messed up by her crying.

"Johnny, I've done a lot of dumb things in my life. Letting you go out that door that day was the easily the worst mistake of my life." She said. A tear slipped out and ran down her cheek. She rushed and brushed it way. He looked down at the table. "It was my fault. You tried to help me so many times. I was too wrapped up in work, and when I wasn't working I was drinking. I forgot the most important thing in my life. You." More tears flowing now, but her voice was calm and steady. "I want you to have something." she said. He looked up as she grabbed her bag. She pulled something out and slid it across the table. "This is my 30 day chip. I got it four years ago. Getting this, and keeping this, was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but not the hardest. The hardest thing was knowing every day that I woke up, that you were out there with a broken heart because of me."

Johnny picked up the chip and bit his lip. He could see how much this meant to her.

"I can't take this." he said shaking his head. "You are the one that worked so hard for this." He slid it back across the table. Her hand stopped his.

"It wasn't a question. The day I got that chip was the day I wrote you the letter." she said. "The two go hand in hand. You have one. You have to have the other."

The letter. Johnny remembered the letter. He remembered every single word of the letter by heart. The letter was part of what lead to his divorce. He had been unhappy for a while, but that was the beginning of the end. He still remembered sitting there on his couch, reading her letter to him. Apologizing for everything that she said and did, telling him how much she still loved him. About the baby she had lost after he left. It was everything he could do to not reach out to her right then and there, but she told him not to in the letter. She didn't even put anyway to get in touch with her in the letter. She explained that she didn't want him to see her like that, and that when the time came they would re-connect. I guess now was the time.

He silently nodded and looked up at her. They both were crying.

"Maybe this was a bad idea." She said shifting in her chair. There were so many emotions and things coming out so quickly that maybe a public place wasn't the best to be. He touched her hand.

"No, it wasn't." he said. "You have no idea how badly I wanted to get in touch with you after I read that letter. You didn't put any return address or phone number on it. Anyone I tried to get in touch with didn't know what rehab you were at. It killed me. Especially after, well..." he trailed off.

"The baby." She said. He simply nodded. "I didn't even know." She said quietly. "I was only 11 weeks. It happened two weeks after you left. I was still so angry. I should have told you then, but all I wanted to do was go back to the bottle and to work." There was shame in her voice. He could tell. He grasped both of her hands across the table.

"I would have never left had I known." he said. Her breath caught in her throat and she nodded. "I should have worked harder to find you."

"Johnny, it's not your fault. You had rebuilt your life and I made myself hard to find for a reason. Everyone was moving on. I thought I was what they were moving on from and they didn't need me. When I came back to Detroit I found out how wrong I was. I wish I hadn't been so stubborn. I wish...I wish I could have the last seven years back." She said, hanging her head. He let go of her hands and went around to her. He turned her chair out and hugged her. Seven years of pain and loss all flooding out. They separated and she smiled at him, standing above her. "All this emotion is making me hungry." He wiped the tears from her cheeks and she did the same for him.

"Good thing we are already at a restaurant." he said smiling. He sat back down in his chair.

They talked and laughed through the rest of the night, closing down the restaurant. They apologized to the waitress and made sure to leave a hefty tip. They walked back into the hotel and saw that the bar was empty. They both looked at each other and seemed a little relieved by that fact.

"Walk you to your room?" Johnny asked as they headed toward the elevator.

"That would be nice, thank you." She said. He grabbed her hand as they walked. "Third floor please." She said as they stepped inside. He pushed the button for three and they exited when the doors opened again. She led him down the hallway, digging her key card out of her bag as she walked down the hallway. She stopped in front of room 324. "This is me."

"Well, I guess this is goodnight. Another long day of production tomorrow." She nodded and faced him. She leaned in and hugged him and he wrapped his arms around her tight. They separated just a little and he leaned in and kissed her gently. She kissed back, pulling him in deeper. They kissed for another moment and he backed away. "You need to go to sleep." He said, brushing her brown hair out of her eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow." he said, turning and walking away.

"I'll see you tomorrow." she said, calling after him. She smiled and opened the door. It shut behind her and she stood there against it for a moment. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She wanted Johnny to spend the night with her so badly. She heard another door open and opened her eyes quickly and flipped on a light. She saw Scott coming through the adjoining door and started laughing. "Are you serious right now?"

"HOW DID IT GO!?" He rushed over to her, standing in front of her in his Team Canada t-shirt and pajama pants. "It must have went well because it's 1:00 in the morning, but not too well, because, well I didn't interrupt anything." he said looking around. "Or did I?" Trying to see if Johnny was in the room anywhere.

"It went well. We just talked about everything and the past seven years. And no, he's not here. He went back to his room. Which I'm surprised is not across the hall." she laughed.

"I couldn't be that blatant." Scott said chuckling. "I put Alex and Chris across the hall in case it didn't go well." She stopped laughing. She hadn't thought about what happened in case it didn't go well. She didn't even want to think about that option now that it had gone well.

"Thank you." she said, taking Scott's hand. "I mean it. You have no idea how much all this means to me. Being back here and being able to redeem myself. Having such an amazing support system of you and the boys. Having..."

"Johnny back?" he interrupted. She smiled and nodded and Scott pulled her into a hug. "All day, every day kiddo." he said, holding her tight. He let go of her and pointed a finger at her. "Now you need to go to bed. We have a 10:00 production meeting with Dutch and Jeff and I'm going to wake your ass up at 9:15."

"Yes Dad." she laughed. He disappeared through the adjoining door and she could hear it lock from his side. She grabbed her bag from the luggage rack and went to bed, dreaming of the possibilities that awaited her life now.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Wake up sleepy head." she heard a voice call. She rubbed her eyes and stretched and saw three faces above her. She jumped in shock.

"Geesh guys!" She said, pushing Chris Sabin away from her and moving away from Scott and Alex. "To what do I owe the honor of being woke up by my three best friends." she laughed, sitting up.

"We just came over to see if Johnny was here." Alex said, sitting down casually eating a banana at the end of her bed. She kicked him in the thigh, pushing him off the bed and down to the floor. "Ow..." he said, standing up, rubbing his leg.

"I am here because of our meeting, remember. You have 30 minutes to get ready." Scott said. "I'll grab you breakfast from downstairs. What do you want?"

"Just a Muffin and some orange juice is fine. If I need to get ready you boys need to shoo." she said, herding the three men out her door. "I'll meet you downstairs." she called to Scott, closing her door.

Eliza didn't see Johnny until much later that day. He was in the ring with some of the trainees while Dutch Mantel was showing her some of the camera set ups. They smiled at each other, but kept to their respective duties. They kept catching each other stealing glances at the other the entire time they were in the arena together.

A short time later she was sitting in catering with Karen Jarrett, eating and just talking and catching up. Johnny and the new talent came in to grab waters and food and Karen noticed her eyes go right to him.

"I heard you guys had dinner last night." Karen said casually. "How did it go?" Eliza laughed.

"Man, I forgot how quickly word travels at a wrestling company." Karen smiled. Scott must have told Jeff, who told Karen.

"So, how did it go? Dish girl." Karen said, leaning closer.

"It was good. It was nice to catch up." Eliza said, trying to keep things vague.

"Catch up? That's it? I would have fucked him right here in catering if I were you." Karen said quietly laughing.

"Oh, don't think I didn't want to." she said. Some part of her mind had been on the thought of his hands all over her body ever since she had seen him yesterday. Hell, for the last four years that she had been sober. She knew that would have to wait, but the thought of him and her being like that again was driving her wild.

"Good for you, restraint and all that. I have none of that." Karen smiled. Jeff sat down and joined them. "Right honey?" she said looking at her husband.

"Whatever you say dear." Jeff laughed. "What are you girls talking about?"

"Oh, nothing, just catching up." Karen said, gently elbowing Eliza on the table. Eliza laughed and stood up.

"I think Dutch needs me to look at...something...um, yeah. I'll see you guys later." she said, pushing in her chair and heading away from the table before she could incriminate herself in front of her new boss. Jeff and Karen laughed and began talking with eachother. She walked out and started down the hall toward the production area. She was grabbed by the arm and pulled through a door. She gasped and prepared to defend herself when she saw the person who grabbed her. It was Johnny. He pulled her in and kissed her deeply, tongues intertwining. She leaned back onto the wall and pulled him close to her, feeling his body against hers. She had wanted this for the last four years of her life and finally getting it was more than she had anticipated. He pulled away from her leaving her reaching for him.

"I just had to do that." he said smiling. She grabbed him and pulled him in again, wrapping her leg around him, making it harder for him to get away. He pressed her into the wall and she could feel the bulge in his shorts growing. She began to reach for him so he could take her, right then and there in that empty room, but he broke away again. Stepping further away this time. She whimpered and he smiled. "Not here. Not like this. It's been too long and I want it to be special." he said, adjusting himself.

"I just want you to fuck me." Eliza said, reaching for him again. He laughed and stepped to the side, making her go behind him. She slapped him on the ass.

"Tonight. Meet me in my room. 415. Come as soon as you get back from here. I'll be waiting." he said, handing her a key card. She took it and put it in the pocket of her dress. He leaned in and kissed her again briefly before walking out the door. She sighed and took a moment to compose herself. At least she was going to another meeting with Dutch and Scott. That would throw some water on her fire pretty quickly she thought chuckling as she exited the same door Johnny just had, wishing the show was over already.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

As soon as everything she needed to do was done, she was in her rental and on her way back to the hotel. She contemplated stopping to freshen up in her room, but she didn't want to wait any longer. She practically ran into the hotel and to the elevator, quickly pushing the 4 button. She exited the elevator and made her way to room 415. She took a deep breath and pushed the key into the door. It clicked and she opened the door.

Inside the room she saw dozens of roses and lilies, her favorite flowers. A candle lit meal waiting for her on the table and Johnny, smiling ear to ear.

"You didn't even stop at your room?" he asked, nodding at her bags at her side. She didn't say a word and just walked over to him and kissed him. He pulled her in and kissed her deeper. She felt one his hands move down her back and rest on her ass, the other hand on the back of her head. He took her over to the bed and laid her down. Her breathing sped up as he took off his shirt. Her eyes drank every inch of him in, her fingers gently running along the scar on his abdomen and down his sides. She started to try to take off her dress and he stopped her. "That's my job." he said. He laid beside her and began kissing her again. His hands moving all over her body. Soon he stood her up and made quick work of her dress, bra, and panties. She reached for his jeans and he allowed her to strip him of those and his boxers.

"Take me Johnny, please. I need you." Eliza whispered in his ear as he nibbled on her neck. Before she could take another breath he was inside her. Filling her completely. She moaned and her back arched off the bed. It was just as she remembered. His hands knowing exactly where to go to set her body on fire.

She lost track of how many times she orgasmed that night. She chuckled when she thought her last count was 10. The food he had ordered had got cold by the time they got to it, and the candles were down to nubs. They laid in bed together for the first time in seven years, and it was as if no time had passed at all. Everything felt right in the world. She was finally back where she belonged.

They fell asleep together intertwined around 1:00am and she woke up when she felt him moving away from her around 7:30. She opened her eyes and saw him getting off the bed.

"Where are you going?" she asked sleepily.

"We have early training." he said quietly. "Go back to sleep, you still have some time."

She reached for him and pulled him onto the bed. She kissed him deeply and let him go.

"Damn me for being in love with an early riser." she laughed, putting her head down on the pillow and throwing the covers over her head. He chucked and she heard him turn the shower on moments later before drifting off to sleep.

Her alarm went off at 8:30 and she slowly rolled out of bed. She looked around at the room, still in disbelief of everything that happened last night. She smiled and realized she needed to get back to her room. She threw on her clothes from yesterday and grabbed her bags. She hit the elevator and took it down to the third floor. She was looking down fiddling with her bags when the doors opened on the third floor.

"WHAT?!" She heard four voices call out from in front of her. Her jaw hit the floor. Sure enough, there was Scott, Chris, Alex and Petey all standing in front of her, watching her do the walk of shame back to her room.

"Just don't." she smiled, pushing past them. They all smiled, knowing where she had been and happy for their friend.

"Take a shower, you smell like Johnny." Chris called out to her down the hallway. She didn't even look back and flipped him off behind her head. The four men chuckled and got in the elevator, taking it down for breakfast. Eliza entered her room and got ready for the day.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

When she got to the Impact Zone she noticed that there were an unusual amount of ambulances there. Normally there were one or two, but there were five on site. She walked in and the scene was chaos. She saw Scott and ran to him.

"What happened?" she asked him. He looked at her and then looked toward the ring. There were paramedics in the ring and everyone was on a knee around the outside. A few of the trainees were crying, everyone seemed in shock. She scanned the crowd quickly for Johnny, but didn't see him. She moved closer and that's when she saw him, laying in one of the five corners, neck brace on, EMT's trying to gently move him to the stretcher. "Johnny!" she screamed. His eyes opened.

"Eliza." he called.

"Sweetie, what...how...is there anything I can do?" she asked, crying. One of the EMT's moved aside so she could see him. She stroked his hair and put a hand on his chest.

"I can't move." he said, struggling to verbalize.

"They have you strapped to the board." She said, seeing that they had him secured.

"No, I can't move at all." he said, tears forming in his eyes. The hand that was on her chest moved up to her mouth to try to hide her jaw on the floor.

"It's okay. We'll get you to the hospital. I'm sure it's just a stinger or something. It will be okay, I promise." she said, wiping his tears away. The EMT's moved her out of the way and placed him on the stretcher. They moved him out of the ringside area and to the ambulance. She looked at Scott.

"Go." he said, pointing to the ambulance Johnny was being loaded into. Jeff nodded beside Scott motioning for her to go too and she climbed into the ambulance behind the EMT's. Alex got in behind her.

"I'm coming with you guys." he said. He knew his friends would need support, and he wasn't doing anything. She took Alex's hand in one hand and kept a hand on Johnny where she could. The 10 minute ride to the hospital was the longest ride she's ever taken. They rushed Johnny into the hospital, running down the list of complaints and what they've already done and vitals. Eliza and Alex following close behind.

"I'm sorry, you'll have to stay here for right now." one of the EMT's said as they wheeled Johnny back into a 'restricted' area. The doors closed and Eliza dropped to the floor.

"I can't lose him again Alex." she cried. He dropped down to his knees beside her and hugged her.

"I know. I know. He'll be okay. He's strong remember. He's been through worse." Alex said holding her, stroking her hair. She held on to his arm as she remembered the night he got stabbed. Same scene, different ER. Although most of the time when he was in surgery then, she was fighting with Andy Douglas.

Alex eventually got her moved to a chair and then a Dr came out.

"Are you two here with Mr. Devine?" he asked. They nodded. He came over and sat down across from them.

"What's going on Doctor?" Eliza asked, anxious to get answers. She gripped Alex's hand tight.

"Mr. Devine's C5 and C6 vertebrae are very damaged. Apparently he took pretty bad fall due to some faulty ropes plus there is some damage that has been there for a while. This just kind of brought everything to the forefront. He is going to need surgery. They are getting him prepped right now..."

"Will he be able to move again?" Alex asked, as he could tell Eliza was just trying to process all the information.

"With some therapy and some work yes. Luckily most of the paralysis should be temporary and should get better once we do the surgery." the doctor replied.

"Can I see him?" Eliza asked. Looking at the doctor hopefully.

"Yes, just you can come back briefly. Like I said, we are getting prepped for surgery. Come with me." he said. She got up and followed the doctor behind the doors. Alex stood and watched her leave. He thought about how it wasn't fair that they had finally found eachother again and then all this happened.

In the back, she approached the bed slowly. They already had him hooked up to breathing machines and there were IV's and bags of stuff everywhere. She could tell that they had already knocked him out for the surgery and she just stroked his hair.

"I love you so much. I don't care if you can't walk or even feed yourself. Just come back to me, please. I can't live without you again." She said quietly, looking at his face. There was a bruise forming on one side of face and moving down his neck. She gently ran her fingers along his chin and planted a kiss on his forehead. The Nurse came and escorted her back to the waiting room. She arrived to see Chris, Scott, Petey and Sonjay walking through the door. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and sat down beside Alex again. Each of the men came over and hugged her before taking their own seat in the waiting area.

"Did you get to talk to him?" Petey asked.

"No, they already had him prepped for surgery. He was knocked out with a breathing tube in." She said, wiping away more tears.

"That's good. That means they aren't messing around." Sonjay said, trying to reassure her. Eliza nodded and they sat there for what felt like an eternity. She looked at Scott and then the time, it was already 7:00pm. They had been there for five hours already.

"If you are here, who is running the show?" Eliza asked.

"Don't worry about it. That's a direct order from Jeff and Dutch." Scott said, taking her hand.

"My third day back and there's already drama. I'm sorry guys." Eliza said, hanging her head.

"This isn't drama. Drama would be if his ex-wife showed up and you guys started cat fighting in the catering area." Chris said. She laughed. His ex. She hadn't thought about her much. He didn't like talking about her much either honestly. Part of her hated the fact that he even had an ex-wife.

"Should I call her? Or maybe his Mom and Dad? I don't know..." Eliza said feeling lost. She hadn't spoken to his Mom and Dad since before he left. They weren't exactly on the greatest of terms due to her alcoholism.

"I'll call his Mom and Dad. His ex can go fly a kite." Scott said, she noticed that Scott had Johnny's cell phone in his hand. He stepped away outside to make the call. Petey put a sandwich in front of her face suddenly, she hadn't even realized he had left.

"You need to eat." He said. She took the sandwich and put it on the chair that Scott once occupied. He picked it up and handed it to her again. "I'm not sitting down or moving until you put that sandwich in your mouth." he said. She picked up the sandwich and put it in her mouth without taking an actual bite of it. She chuckled and looked at him smiling. "Glad to know you can be a smartass in times of crisis. Johnny would be proud." Petey said. He moved to the seat across from her, as she had fulfilled his wishes. She took a bite of the sandwich and put the rest down on the plate in the seat. "Thank you." he said as she chewed.

Scott came back in and motioned for Eliza to come outside. He put his ear back up to the phone.

"Just a moment Steve." he said. He looked at Eliza. "His dad wants to talk to you." Eliza took a deep breath and took the phone.

"Hello." she said, very nervous.

"Hello sweetie, how are you holding up?" Steve said over the phone. It was a much different tone than she was expecting.

"I'm okay for now. They have him in surgery. I just saw him for the first time two days ago." She sobbed into the phone. Unable to control her emotions.

"It's okay dear, he'll be okay. He's tough. He's a fighter." a female voice said from the phone. It was his Mom Andrea.

"How are you doing other than that? Are you feeling okay?" Steve asked.

"I'm doing okay. I've got people here with me." I looked up and saw Jeff and Karen along with Gail Kim and Rosemary walking up to the hospital.

"Good. I'm glad. Call us when you have any news sweetheart. I'm glad you are sober and back in our lives." Andrea said. Her voice was sincere and she was glad she talked to them. It gave her at least a little reassurance that things would be okay.

"Thank you and I will let you know what's going on as soon as I have any information. Bye." Eliza said, hanging up the phone.

People came and went the whole night. Someone always stayed with her, and she never left. Different people brought her all kinds of food to try to get her to eat. She would take a few bites and then be done. She would pace up and down the hallway.

"You look exhausted." Scott said sitting down beside her. She nodded and looked at him. "You should get some rest." he said.

"I can't. What if I miss something, what if they come out and I'm sleeping." Eliza said looking at him as if he had grown a second and third head.

"I will stay with you and the minute a doctor comes out with info I will wake you." Scott said motioning for her to put her head on his shoulder. He already had a blanket from the hospital.

"Promise?" she said.

"Promise." She laid her head down on his shoulder and Chris covered her with the blanket. She was asleep within minutes from sheer exhaustion.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Eliza, the doctor is here." she heard Scott say gently as he was shaking her. She snapped awake and put her full attention on the doctor in front of her.

"Are you Mrs. Devine?" He asked.

"No, I'm Ms. Gwynn, I'm Mr. Devine's girlfriend." Eliza said. The doctor extended his hand and she shook it.

"So Mr. Devine pulled through okay. He had some bone chips in there that we cleared out and we had to fuse a few levels together, but he should have full function once he wakes up. The paralysis was more than likely shock mixed with the impact." he said. She took a deep breath and felt weight off of her shoulders. She had a four level fusion in her neck, but then she thought about him not being able to wrestle anymore. She figured they would cross that bridge when they got there and thanked the doctor for his efforts.

"When can I see him?" she asked anxiously.

"We are moving him to a room right now. He is still a little out of it, but the breathing tube and everything has been removed, so he'll be able to talk soon." the doctor said standing. "He will be in room 1243. We should have him there by the time you get there."

"Thank you again doctor." she said, shaking his hand again. Scott had already gathered her things and was waiting for her so they could go to his room. She looked around.

"I sent everyone else back to the hotel or wherever. You didn't need everyone here watching you sleep." he said. She took her bag from him and they walked toward the elevator.

After stopping for directions they finally found room 1243. She noticed that he was already in the room, with his eyes open. She darted in and went straight to his side.

"Johnny, you are awake." She said. He smiled at her.

"Look at what I can do." he said wiggling his fingers.

"See, I told you it was just temporary." She said smiling at him. Scott put the blanket down on the chair and came to Johnny's bedside.

"Hey man, you gave us all a nasty scare." Scott said.

"Scared myself." Johnny said smiling.

"I'm going to get out of here and let you guys do what you need to. Call me if you need anything okay? You both get some rest." Scott said. He shook Johnny's hand and walked out the door. He raised an eyebrow at Eliza.

"Kinky post op sex?" he smiled.

"Shut up." She laughed and drug a chair over closer to his bed. "You know we are twinsies now right?" She said. He looked at her puzzled and she turned to show him the scar on the back of her neck.

"I totally forgot about that." he said, shocked that he forgot something about her. "How many levels do you have?"

"Four, you only have three. You always have to make sure I beat you." she said laughing, holding his hand tightly. She then realized, "I have to call your Mom and Dad!" She said, pulling out his cell phone from her bag.

"Did you talk to them already?"

"I did. I was surprised how nice they were to me." Eliza said.

"I told them about everything in the last few days." he said sleepily. The drugs still in his system were hitting him hard.

"Everything?" She laughed.

"Not that. I kept that for myself." he said smiling, closing his eyes.

"Get some sleep. I'll let them know what's going on." she said. She put his hand down on the bed and covered him with the blanket more. Just then his phone rang. It was his Mom. She answered. "I was just getting ready to call you." she laughed.

The woman on the other end of the phone chuckled. "You and I always were on the same wavelength." Andrea said. "How's our boy?" There was a tone of cautious optimism in her voice.

"He's out of surgery and in his room. The paralysis is gone, but he has a three level fusion in his neck. He's going to need a lot of physical therapy, but he'll be okay." a relieved sigh came from the other end of the phone.

"Do they know how long he'll be in the hospital for?" Andrea asked.

"I'm not sure. I'm hoping it will just be for his initial recovery and we can do Physical Therapy in Windsor."

"That would be great. Steve and I can come to Windsor and help out if that's the case. I know you have to work dear."

"Right now, Johnny is my top priority. He's never not going to be my top priority ever again." Eliza said. She meant every word. She looked back at Johnny, now asleep in the hospital bed. She wasn't going to let him go ever again.

"You go get some rest, I'm going to go back to bed myself. Take good care of our boy and let us know what the plan is." Andrea said. She could tell Eliza was a different woman that she had last spoken to seven years ago. She was happy she sounded so clear and so determined to not let her son go again.

"I will. Thank you for forgiving me." Eliza said softly.

"Thank you for finding your way back to Johnny. He was a different man without you." Andrea said. Eliza felt tears down her cheeks again. Surprised she had any tears left after the last three days.

"I will call you later and let you know what's going on." Eliza said trying to hide the fact that she was crying.

"Sounds good. Get some sleep."

"You too. Bye."

"Bye." Andrea said. Eliza pushed the end button on the touch screen and looked down. The screensaver was a picture of them from had to be 10 years ago. They were at the fair in Nashville. Johnny had just won her a ridiculous sized stuffed animal and it was the two of them, smiling, holding eachother close. She smiled and thought about how young they looked then. Johnny with his blonde hair, bandana and black jean jacket vest. She was wearing what used to be Johnny's favorite dress. A sleeveless blue dress that clung to every curve. She wondered if she still had that dress somewhere, and tried to make a note to look. She wondered if it would even still fit, as she was a little smaller back then, but not too much different. She turned the screen off and sat the phone down on the table beside her chair. She organized the blanket and another chair so she could put her feet up and lean back a bit, but still be right by Johnny if need be. She knew they had a long road ahead.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Are you okay?" Eliza asked Johnny, lying in bed beside her.

"Yeah, are you?" He asked, facing her. She shifted and grunted, moving her pillow between her legs and under her growing belly. She sighed, finally feeling relief.

"Now I am." she smiled. He leaned over and kissed her and then leaned down and kissed her bare belly.

It had been a year and a half since his accident and since they had reconnected. He was in the hospital in Florida for five days before being discharged to go home to Windsor for physical therapy. Eliza packed her things and stayed with him the entire 8 months of therapy. He had never worked so hard to get back to where he was in his life. It was all worth it. His last day of therapy Eliza surprised him with a tiny gift bag as he walked through the door. Inside was a stick wrapped in plastic wrap. He looked at her with a puzzled look on his face. She told him that it was a pregnancy test, and that it was positive. His jaw hit the floor and he just stared at the stick, now realizing what it was. He dropped the bag and the stick on the floor and walked over to her and took her into his arms. He closed his eyes as tears streamed down his face. They had come so far in their months together. Accomplished so many things, overcome so many obstacles. Everything wasn't always easy, and they still butted heads every once in a while, but just knowing that she was there made him happy.

They got married by a justice of the peace three weeks after she told him she was pregnant. They didn't feel the need to go all out, they just wanted to get it done. They had a BBQ at their house that night and told everyone the good news. Scott promptly demanded that the baby be named after him if it was a boy, laughing.

Eliza was currently eight months pregnant and Johnny wouldn't let her lift a finger at home. They were expecting a little boy, and Scott still demanded that he be named after him. After much convincing on Johnny's part, they decided to name the baby Ren Scott Devine. Johnny kept joking with Eliza that the baby was going to be named Darth Vader Devine, but she no longer thought it was funny the further along she got. They settled on Ren, still being Star Wars related, but not so much so that he would get picked on, and Scott, so Scott would shut up about it.

Eliza and Scott were running Impact now, Jeff and Karen had taken a step down and with Eliza running the production and Scott running the creative they had become a force to be reckoned with. Johnny was no longer physically training, but he was overseeing their talent development department and recruiting. He was bringing in talent from all over the world, making it truly a global company.

It was funny how it seemed like things happened so fast, but it was as if the seven years apart never happened. They picked up right where the left off before Eliza went down her dark path, and never looked back.

Its funny how second chances work out sometimes...

The end.


End file.
